Box-strapping machine



March 11, 119240 11,486,354

w. G. MUELLER BOX STRAPPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 51. 1.920 6 Sheets Sheet' 1 INVENTOR. WiLLIAM G. MUELLER A TTORNEYS WITNESS:

I Eris @w M Q W. G. MUELLER BOX STRAPPING MACHINE Filed %e0. 31, 1920 6 Sheets Sheet' 2 WITNESS: INVENTOR.

WILLIAM G. MUELLER BY 5 m A TTORNEYS W. G. MUELLER Box STRAPPING MACHINE File 31 6 Sheets She an 2. 2% WM w mw aw mw/wv INVENTOR. WILLIAM G. MUELLER WITNESS: GQQ MA 5M BY W M SWMMU A TTORNEYS 11,46,354 W. G. MUELLER v BOX STRAPPING MACHINE Ech H 19241 Filed' Dec. 51, 1920 6 Sheets Sheet 4 INVI'INTOR.

WITNESS: 9

WILUAM G. MUELLER ch H, 1924; 11,486,354

W. G. MUELLER BOX STRAPPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 51, 1920 '6 Sheets Shet 5 WITNESS: v INVENTOR.

. 2 WILLIAM G. MUELLER A TTORNEY5 March 111, R924,

W. G. MUELLER BOX STRAPPING MACHINE Filed 51. 1920 6 sheets sheec' 6 IN V EN TOR. WILLIAM (5. MUELLER A TTORNEYS Fatented Mar. it, 1224.

UNHTED stares PATENT orator.

WILLIAM. Gr. MUELLER, @F CHICAGG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNGR, B'Z' MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TQ ALE'C J. GERRA'RD, F CICERQ, ILLINQIS.

BGX-S'JIFRAPPENG MACHINE.

Application filed. December 31, 1920. Serial No. 534,310.

To all whom iv may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM G. MUELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State a of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Box-Strapping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

to vices and is particularly concerned with an eflicient wire-tying machine for binding boxes and the like with round wire.

The general purposes of this invention are to provide a machine of the kind specified M which is portable; which is of light and compact construction; which may be either devices is-often-times prohibitive, due to the number and varied sizes of the boxes to be wired and to the congestion of the room. 7 The machine of this invention may be used with ease to wire boxes of any size, since, to use this machine, it is only necessary that the same be placed upon a substantially flat surface of the box and positioned conti uous with the plane of the proposed loop 0 wire to be placed therearound.

Another equally important object of the invention is the provision of a machine having adjustable means totensionthe Wire to a degree of tautness which may be regulated according to the strength of the wire and the construction of the box to be strapped; means to intertwist the overlapped ends of the wire; and means to cut off the remaining excess wire at points closely adjacent the ends of the twisted portions.

Still another object is the provision of a ing and the cutting operations occur automatically and in properly timed sequence.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides primarily in the provision of novel and adjustable tensioning means,

The present invention relates to baling demachine wherein the tensioning, the twistof means for throwing the twisting mechanism into operation when the wire is drawn to the desired tightness, and out of operation after the completion of thedesired number of twists and cutting ofi the excess ends, as and of means by which the synchronization of the machine operation is efiected.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thenature of the same is better understood from the Qt accompanying drawings and the followingdetailed description based thereon. Une embodiment of the invention is here illustrated and described for the purpose OI? exemplification, but, inasmuch as the inven- @53 I tion is readily capable of modification in unessential details of construction and arrangement of parts, it should be understood that the drawings and description are not intended to limit unnecessarily the spirit of this to invention or the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, showing the machine positioned upon a box and engaging the ends of a tying wire, the parts being in their respective positions prior to the tensioning, twisting and cutting operations;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, with the cover a removed, and a portion of the mechanism and machine casing broken away at the left of the view to disclose the mechanism therebelow;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the machine, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, and illustrates a portion of the tensloning mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a similar section, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2, and illustrates the twisting mechanism;

Figs. 6 and 7 are similar views, taken on the lines 66 and 77, respectively, of Fig. 2, and illustrate the mechanism for unclutching the twisting mechanism;

Figs. 8 and 9 are vertical views illustrating the cutting mechanism, Fig. 8 being a transverse section on the line 88 of Fig.

2, and Fig. 9 being an end elevation of the machine with certain movable parts removed for clearness; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of the end portions of the tying wire when the twisting operation has been completed. Referring now in detail to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, the numeral 10 designates in general the casing of the machine, within and upon which is mounted the various mechanisms constituting the invention. A cover lleifectively closes the top-of the casing 10, being secured thereto by screws or other suitable means. This cover is provided with a rigid handle 12 of inverted U-shaped form, which is positioned centrally of the same and serves as a convenientmeans for transporting or positioning the machine.

In order to illustrate clearly the general manner in which this machine is used, Fig. 1 shows the same placed upon a box 13. A wire 14, passed around the periphery of the box, has its ends attached, at the proper points, to the mechanism of the machine. Upon operation of the machine, the wire 14, when thus attached, will be tensioned, the overlapped ends twisted together and the excess ends thereof subsequently cut olf.

A power transmitting shaft 15 is rotatably mounted in casing 10 lengthwise thereof. One end of this shaft is journaled in a longitudinally adjustable screw plug bearing 16 threaded into an end wall of the casing, and

the other end is journaled in an elongated sleeve 17 formed integral with a transverse partition 18 of the casing and disposed adjacent the opposite end wall thereof.

v A collar 19 is fixedly secured to shaft 15 by means of a pin 20 or the like. One side of this collar bears against the adjacent end of the bearing sleeve 17, and the other side of the collar is provided with longitudinally projecting ratchet teeth 21. A sleeve 22 is loosely-mounted on the shaft 15, and has its outer surface spirally threaded to constitute a worm. One end of this sleeve or worm is provided with ratchet teeth 23 which are complementary to, and normallv intermesh with, the ratchet teeth 21 of the collar 19. The other end of the sleeve 22 abuts against a relatively large disk 24 also mounted loosely on the shaft 15. A strong spiral spring 25 encircles the shaft 15 and isconfined thereon between the disk 24 and a smaller washer 26. This washer in turn abuts against a small gear wheel 27, which is keyed to the shaft 15 in such a way as to prevent relative rotation therebetween while permitting longitudinal movement of the former along the latter. A ball bearing raceway 28 is secured to that side of the gear wheel 27 opposite the washer 26, and receives a plurality of ball bearings 29, which are retained thereagainst sasaa by a similar oppositely disposed but normally stationary raceway 30 carried by the previously mentioned screw plug bearing 16.

A stub driving shaft 31 is journaled in an end wall of the casing 10, above and parallel to the shaft 15, and is provided, within the casing, with a small fixed pinion 32 having relatively wide teeth which intermesh with the teeth of the gear wheel 27 on the shaft 15. A hand wheel 33, which is rotated by means of a handle 34 attached thereto, is

keyed to the end of the shaft 31 exteriorly of the machine casing.

i From the construction thus far described, it will be understood that shaft 15 will be rotated in the direction opposite that of the hand wheel 33, and that the gear wheel 27 will always intermesh with the pinion 32 regardless of the position which said gear wheel assumes on its shaft due to manipulation of the screw plug 16 in varying the compression exerted against disk 24 by the spring 25. It will also be understood that the function of this spring is to clutch the worm 22 to the collar 19 by serving to hold in intermeshed relation the ratchet teeth of these elements.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a wire-tensioning shaft 35 is journaled in the side walls of the casing below and at right angles to shaft 15.- One end of the shaft 35 extends exteriorly of the machine casing and is there provided with a drum 37. This drum is keyed to its shaft and has two pair of intersecting parallel kerfs 38 cut in its outer side to provide convenient means for engaging one end of the wire, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be appreciated from the preceding description of the wire-tensioning shaft and its associated parts and drive that when the handwheel 33 is turned in a clockwise direction, as viewed from the right in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the drum 37 will be rotated slowly in a counter-clockwise direction and will proceed to tension the wire 14 attached thereto. W hen this increasing tension becomes greated than the adjustable force exerted by the spring 25 on the worm 22, the wire-tensioning drum 37, shaft 35 and work gear 36 will come to rest and the continued rotation of the worm 22 will cause the same to unscrew itself along the now stationary threads of the worm gear 36, thus disengaging the clutch teeth 21 and 23. The tensioning mechanism thus remains stationary, the angle of the worm teeth being such as to prevent its being rotated back into engagement with the clutch by the pressure applied longitudinally by the spring 25. When the tension on the wire is released because of the subsequent cutting of the same the worm 22 will of course become clutched again to the collar 19.

-therein a tapered notch 51.

jects into one of these guidewavs.

aneaaec Ashaft 39 is rotatahly mounted in axial alignment with, and in end-to-end relation to, the power transmitting shaft 15, one end of the shaft 39 being journaled in the hearing sleeve 17 of the casing partition, and the other end being journaled in a housing 46 which is formed in the end wall of the casing and projects exteriorly therefrom. The contiguous ends of the shafts 39 and are provided with complementary ratchet teeth 41 which intermesh when the two shafts are brought together, and function to constitute a clutch therebetween. The outer end of the housing is closed by a plug 42 spaced a sufficient distance from the end of the shaft 39 to permit a longitudinal shifting of said shaft in order to clutch or unclutch the same with the shaft 15. Gavities 43 are bored in the opposing faces of the plug and shaft to receive and seat a spring 44 therebet-ween. This spring functions to shift the shaft 39 longitudinally into intermeshed or clutched engagement with the shaft 15. I

Intermediate the ends of the shaft 39, an annular groove 4:5 is formed therein and serves to receive, when the shaft is shifted to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, the nose of a plunger 46. This plunger is seated in a recess of the casing,'as shown in Fig. 6, and is pressed into the groove 45 of the shaft by means of a small spiral spring 47 positioned also in the recess.

The purpose of this plunger is to hold the shaft 39 in unclutched relation to the shaft 15, and, in order to withdraw the plunger and to clutch the shafts, afinger 48 is formed on the shank of the plunger and extends upwardly at right angles thereto. The means for operating this finger consists of a flat narrow slide 49 which is positioned longitudinally of the machine casin and is supported in guideways 50 formed in the casing and partition. The'finger 48 pro- This slide is best illustrated in Fig. 2. That portion of the slide adjacent the finger has cut notch 52 is cut in the opposite side of the slide 49 near its other end, and-receives a portion of the previously described disk 24:

.on the shaft 15.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that whenthetension of the wire 14 has reached the predetermined amount, the disk 24, in shifting to the right with the worm 22. will carry the slide 49 with it, thus causing the finger 48 to cam against the edge of the notch 51 and he forced inwardly, whereupon the nose of the plunger 46 is withdrawn from its groove and the shaft 39 allowed to clutch with theshaft 15.

Furthermore, when the disk 24 returns to its normal position, the slide 49 will cease to bear inwardly againstthe finger 48 and An abrupt the nose of the plunger will again he pressed against the shaft 39. Each of the views of the drawings, with the exception of'll igs. 6 and 7, illustrates'the shaft 39 clutched to the shaft 15. This clutching only occurs,-

short counter-shaft 55, which is journaled in the casing 10 below and to one side of shaft 39, in parallel relation thereto. A pinion 56 is also keyed to the counter-shaft 55, and intermeshes with and drives a gear wheel 57. This gear wheel is keyed to a relatively long shaft 58 at a medial point thereon; said shaft being journaled in the end wall of the casing and in the partition 18 at a point below and to one side of the shaft 39, in parallel relation thereto. The gear wheel 5'? has provided near its periphery, on the side thereof opposite the partition 18, a projecting lug 59, the purpose of which will be set forth later.

A small wire-twisting pinion 60 occupies, together with the lower portion of the gear wheelv 57, a transverse slot '61 in the base of the machine casing, and is interrneshed than the diameter of the wire 14 to he twisted, is out both in the pinion 60 and its stuh shaft, lengthwise thereof. The side walls of the slot 61 in the casing have formed therein, in substantial alignment with the slot- 63 of pinion 60 when the, same is in a horizontal position, deep circular edged kerfs 64, to permit the two overlapped ends of the wire 14 to be received in the slot of the wiretwisting pinion 60. The above mentioned side-walls of the slot 61 taper downwardly and outwardly as at 65, from the lower outer edge of the kerfs 64, thus permitting the machine to be easily withdrawn from under the wire 14, aftersaid wire is tied, by lowering the intertwisted wire portions gradually to the surface of the box 13. Ttwill now be understood that when the shaft 39 is driven by being shifted into clutching engagement with shaft 15, the wire-twisting pinion 66 will be rotated in a clockwiseshaft 39.

revolutions to one revolution of the latter, as inttwisting the wire it is desirable that the same be given three, and only three twists. The previously mentioned lug 59 is therefore provided to actuate certain mechanisms for shifting the shaft 39 out of clutching engagement with the shaft 15, when the gear Wheel 57 has completed one revolution.

The means for shifting the shaft 39 out of clutching engagement with shaft 15 after said clutching engagement has been brought about by the sprin 44 upon the withdrawal of the nose of the p unger 46 from the groove 45, is as follows: That portion of the base ofthe casing 10 between the gear wheel 57 and the end wall of the casing, extends up to within a short distance of the underside of The upper surface of this solid portion supports an angularly shaped plate 66 which is pivoted at one corner on an upright pivoting pin 67. This construction is illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7. An edge 68 of the plate 66 adjacent the pivoting pin 67 is so cut that it will normally lie at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the casing 10, for a purpose later stated. .An arm 69 is positioned upon the plate 66,- and has one of its ends pivoted on the pivoting pin 67.-

The free end of this arm carries a vertical pin 70 which projects both above and below the arm.. The upper projection thus formed engages at all times in the groove 45,0f the shaft 39, while the lower projection is received in a short a-rcuate slot in the plate 66.

A horizontal transverse guideway is formed in the solid portion of the casing below the plate 66 and adjacent the gear Wheel 57. A slide 71 reciprocates within this guideway and is normally held at the end of the same which is adjacent the pivoting pin 67, by the action of a spiral spring 72 posi 'tioned also in the guideway. A lug 73 projects upwardly from the slide 71 and bears against the edge 68 of the plate 66. When the slide 71 is shifted away from its normal position and against the spring 72, the lug 73 will cam against the edge 68 of the plate 66, and in the consequent swinging of the plate 66 about its pivot point, the pin 7 0 of the arm 69, being in that edge of the arcuate slot nearest the slide 71, will be shifted likewise about the pivotin pin of its arm, and will in turn shift the s aft 39 out of clutching engagement with the shaft 15.

' Because of the aperture in plate 66 being in the form of anarcuate slot rather than circular, the plate 66, having served its function of unclutching said shafts, may now swing backinto its normal position shown in Fig. 2. If desired, a spring may be provided toactuat'e the plate in its return move ment, but no such means are essential inasmuch as said plate will be carried back to its normal position when. the shafts are measae again clutched together upon the tripping of the finger 48 by the slide 49.

A horizontal aperture 74 is formed in the slide 71, and receives a loosely fitting rod 75, one end of which extends beyond the surface of the slide into the path of-the lug 59 on the gear wheel 57. The other end passes through an opening in the end wall 'of the machine casing and is there pivoted to an upright rigid extension 7 6 on a holding arm 76. This arm is pivoted at 77 to an exterior base portion of the casinglO. A notch 78 for receiving a loop or bend in one end -of the wire to be tied is cut in one end of the arm 76, while the other end of the arm is normally drawn toward the end'wall of the casing by a spring 79. As long as the wire 14 is tensioned but uncut, the end of the arm 76 to which the wire is attached will be drawn in toward the casing, and the rod 75, being pivoted to the upright extension of the arm 76 on the far side of its pivoting point 77, will be shifted outwardly so as to be withdrawn out of the path of the lug 59 on the gear Wheel 57. The purpose in withdrawing the rod 75 temporarily from its operative position will be set forth later.

A cam-operated cutting arm 82 is pivoted to the casing against a wire positioning slot 83,

and, just before the twisting of the wire is completed and the shafts, 39 and 15 unclutched by the mechanism previously described, the cam 80 forces the arm 82 to sever the inner wire inthe slot 83. cut away represents the excess portion of that end of the wire remaining after the twisting operation.

A somewhat similar cam-operated cutting arm 84 is pivoted in alignment with the cam 81- against a corresponding wire positioning slot 85. The cutting arm 84 however serves to sever the outer wire in the slot 85. The wire thus cut away represents the excess portion of the other end of the wire remaining after the twisting operation. Leaf springs 86 are attached to the casing and bear against the cutting arms 82 and 84 in order to return said arms to their raised positions upon the completion of the cutting operations. Because of the force required to operate these cutting arms, the cams are so keyed to the shaft 58 that the cutting arm 84 func- The wire thus incense of exerting a force suiiicient to make both cuttings simultaneous. v

The operations of the cutting arms occur slightly before the twisting mechanism has completed its work. The reason for this is to permit the wire-holding arm 76 to spring back upon the release of the tension and thereby insert the rod 75 into the path of the approaching lug 59 on the gear wheel 57, and, at the other end, to permit the spring to re-engage the clutch teeth 21 and 23 and return slide 49 to its original position so that its tapered notch 51 will be free of finger 4:8, thus allowing plunger 46 to engage notch of shaft 39 upon the operation of the unclutching mechanism, The twisting pinion is meshed with the gear wheel 57 in such relation that the wire will be twisted a portion of a turn past the horizontal position of the slot 63 in the pinion. This is done in order to leave the wire in horizontal alignment and permit its full withdrawal from the slot, after the natural reflex of the twisted and tensioned wire has occurred. This action of the wire iminediately serves to return the slot 63 of the pinion into a horizontal plane.

To assist this return or backward movement of the pinion 60, the lug 59 on the gear wheel 57, is likewise moved backwards by pressure of spring 72 operating slide 71 carrying rod 75 aga1nst lug 59. i

If no precautions were taken to remove the end of the rod 75 from the path of this lug, it will be readily seen that, as soon as the twisting operation is set in motion on the next wire to be tied, the twisting mechanism would be immediately unclutched and brought to rest. ln order to obviate this difiiculty, the withdrawal of the end of the rod 75 is brought about in the manner previously described by the tensioning of the wire attached to arm 76.

In use, the machine is placed upon the box to be wired, with the wire engaging side of the machine in substantially the same plane as the desired band of wire. A wire of the correct length with a loop or bend formed in one end thereof; is hooked over the notch of the wire-holding arm 76. The wire is then inserted in the slot of the twisting pinion and in the other positioning slots aligned therewith, passed around the box,

again inserted in "said slots, and the re- ,maining other end portion engaged in one of the erfsof the drum 37; The wire is Y thus properly attached to the machine, and

is ready to be tensioned, twisted, and cut.

The hand-wheel 33 is now turned in a clockwise direction, causing the drum 37 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, whereby thewire is gradually drawn taut and tensioned. As the slack is taken out of the wire the end of the wire-holding arm 76 is drawnv inwardly and moves the end of rod 75 out of the path of the lug 59 on the gear wheel 57. As soon as the wire has be come properly tensioned, the'drum 37 comes to rest and the spring 25 yields. As the spring 25 yields, the slide 49 is shifted by the dislr2 land the nose of plunger 46 is withdrawn from the groove in the shaft 1 39, causing said shaft, under the pressure of the spring it to clutch with shaft 15 and be driven thereby. The clutchingin of the shaft 39 commences the twisting of the wire ends. Just prior to the completion of the twist the cutting arms are actuated by their cams and the wire ends are cut. The cutting of the excess wireat by the cutting arm 84 releases the tension on the drum 37 and allows the spring 25 to return the worm 22 to its original position in clutched engagement with the shaft 15. The slide 49 with its tapered slot 51 is thereby shifted said rod laterally, and the slide 71 is shifted in its guideway accordingly. As a result of this movement of the slide '71, plate 66 is swung about its pivot,and the shaft .39 shifted into an unclutched position. Tn

this unclutching operation the spring 72.

is compressed. After unclutching it operates to bring the slide 71 carrying the rod 75 desired, by merely attachingjto the cover thereof, or to some convenient portion of the casing, an electric motor properly geared to the drive shaft of the machine. y

I claim:

1. ln a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding one end of a wire, of means for tensioning the against the lug 59 to rotate the gear 57 and rea Wire a predetermined amountincluding a driven shaft, rotatable means normally in clutched engagement with said shaft and having attached thereto the other end of the wire, and means to 'unclutch the last men- Sill movement of the ,worm longitudinally of tioned means from said driven shaft when the tension of the wire reaches the predetermined amount.

2. In a machine of the character described, I

the combination with means for holding one end ofa wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount including a driven shaft, rotatable means normally in clutched engagement with said shaft and having attached thereto the other end of the Wire, and means to unclutch the last mentioned means from said driven shaft when the tension of the wire reaches thepredetermined amount, and means for adjustmg said tensioning means whereby to determine the amount of tension given the wire.

3. lln a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding one end of a wire, of means for tensioningthe wire automatically a predetermined amount including a driven shaft, a worm longitudinally movable thereon and clutched thereto when at one endonly of its movement,

lid

yieldable means for normally'maintaining said worm' at that end of itsinovement in which it is clutched to the shaft, aiworm gear in mesh with said worm, and means driven by said worm gear for holding the other end of the wire and effective under resistance from the tensionedawire to induce the shaft against the yieldable means.

d. In a machine of the character. de=

scribed, the combination with means for,

holding one end of a wire, ofimeans for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount including a driven shaft, a worm longitudinally movable thereon and clutched thereto when at one end only of its movement, yield-able means for normally maintaining said worm at the end of its movement in which it is clutched to the shaft, a Worm gear in mesh withsaid worm, means driven by said worm gear for holding the other end of the, wire and efie'ctive under resistance from thetensioned wire to induce movement of the worm longitudinally of the shaft'against the yieldablemeans, and means for adjusting said tensioning means whereby to determine the amount of tension given the wire.

5. din a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding one end of a wire, of means for tensioningthe wire automatically a predetermined amountincluding a driven shaft, a

worm longitudinally movable thereon and clutched thereto when, at one end only of its movement, yieldable means for normally maintaining said worm at the end of its movement in which it is clutched to the shaft, a worm gear in mesh with said worm, means driven by said worm gear for holding the other end of the wire and effective under resistance from the tensioned wire inseam holding one end of a wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically a-predetermined amount including; a driven shaft, a worm longitudinally movable thereon and clutched thereto when at one end only of its movement, yieldable means for normally maintaining said worm at that end of its movement in which it is clutched to the shaft, a worm gear in mesh with said worm, means rotated by said worm gear for holding the other end of thewire and effective under resistance from the tensioned wire to induce movement of the worm longitudinally of the shaft against the yieldable means, and means for intertwisting overlapped portions of the wire adjacent the ends thereof. t

' 7. ln a machine of the character described,

. the combination with means for holding one end of a wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically. a predetermined amount including a driven shaft, 21 worm-longitudinally movable thereon and clutched thereto when at one end only of its movement, yieldable means for normally maintaining said worm at that end of its movement in which it is clutched to the shaft, a worm gear in mesh with said worm, means rotated by said worm gear for holding the other end of the wire ands-effective under resistance from the tensioned Wire to induce movement of the worm lldtl longitudinally of the shaft against the yield able means, means for adjusting said tensioning means whereby to determine the amount of tension given the Wire, and means for intertwisting overlapped portions of the wire adjacent the ends thereof. 8. lln a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding the ends of a wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically apredetermined amount, means for intertwisting overlapped portions of the wire adjacent the ends thereof, and means for automatically putting into operation the, twisting means when the wire has acquired a predetermined amount of tension. a I

9. In .a machine of the character described, means for intertwisting overlapped portions of a wire adj acent'the ends thereof including a driven shaft, a second shaft co-axial and clutchable with said first shaft, a gear wheel, means for rotating said gearwheel by said second shaft, and means rotating with said,

lltl

lac

gean Wheel and slotted to receive therein said overlapped portions of the wire in order to twist the same.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding the ends of a Wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount, means for intertwisting overlapped portions of a wire adjacent the ends thereof including a driven shaft, a second shaft co-axial and clutchable with said first shaft, a gear wheel, means for rotating said gear wheel by said second shaft, and means driven by said gear wheel and slotted to receive therein said overlapped portions of the wire in order to twist the same.

11. In a machine or the character described, means for intertwisting overlapped portions of a wire adjacent the end thereof including a driven shaft. a second shaft coaxial and clutchable with said first shaft, a gear wheel, means for rotating said gear wheel by said second shaft, a pinion meshed with said gear wheel and slotted to receive therein said overlapped portions of the wire in order to twist the same, and means for automatically putting into operation the twisting means when the wire has acquired the predetermined tension.

12. in a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding the ends of a wire. of means for tensioning the wire automatically :1 predetermined amount, means for adjusting said tensioning means whereby to determine the amount of tension given the wire. means for intertwisting overlapped portionsof a wire adjacent the end thereof, including a driven shaft, a second shaft co-axial and clutchable withsaid first shaft, a gear wheel, means for rotating said gear wheel by said second shaft, and a pinion meshed with said gear wheel and slotted to receive therein said overlapped portions of the wire in order to twist the same.

l3. lln a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding the ends of a wire. of means for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount, means for adjusting said tensioning means whereby to determine the amount of tension given the wire, means for intertwisting overlapped portions of a wire adjacent the end thereof, including a driven shaft, a second shaft co-axial and clutchable with said first shaft, a gear wheel, means for rotating said gear wheel by said second shaft, a pinion meshed with said gear wheel and slotted to receive therein said overlapped portions of the wire in order to twist the same, and means for automatically putting into operation the twisting means when the wire has acquired the predetermined tension.

147.11]. a, machine of the character deportions of the wire in order to ttitist scribed, the combination with means for holding one end of a wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount including a driven shaft, a worm longitudinally movable thereon and clutched thereto. when at one end only of its movement, yieldable means for normally maintaining said worm at that end of its movement in which it is clutched to the shaf a worm gear in mesh with said worm, said means rotated by said worm gear for holding the other end of the wire and effective under resistance from the tensioned wire to induce movement of the worm longitudinally of the shaft against the yieldable means, means for intertwisting overlapped portions of the wire adjacent the ends thereof including a driven shaft, a second'shaft co-axial and clutchable with said driven shaft, a gear wheel, means for rotating said gear wheel by said second shaft, and a pinion meshed with said gear slotted to receive therein said overlapped the same.

15. In a machine of the character scribed, the combination with means for holding one end of a wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount including a driven shaft, a worm longitudinally movable thereon and clutched thereto when at one end only of its movement, yieldable means for normally maintaining said worm at that end of its movement in which it is clutched to the shaft, a worm gear in mesh with said worm, and means rotated by said worm gear for holding the other end of the wire and effective under resistance from the tensioned wire to induce movement of the worm longiacquired the predetermined tension.

16. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding one end of a wire. of means for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount including a driven shaft, a worm longitudinally movable thereon and clutched thereto when at one end only of its movement, yieldable means for normally maintaining said worm at that end of its movement in which it is clutched to the shaft, a worm gear in mesh with said worm, and means rotated by said worm gear for wheel and holding the other end of the wire and efi'ective under resistance from the tensioned wire to induce movement of the Worm longitudinally of the shaft against the yieldable means, means for intertwisting overlapped portions of a wire adjacent the ends thereto including a driven shaft, a second shaft ooaxial and clutchable with said driven shaft, a gear wheel, means for rotating said gear wheel by said second shaft, a pinion meshed with said gear Wheel and slotted to receive therein said overlapped portions of the wire in order to twist the same, means for automatically setting into operation the twisting means when, the wire has acquired the predetermined tension, said last mentioned means including means tending to clutch the second shaft with the driven shaft, means acting to prevent said clutching, and means actuated when the wire has acquired the predetermined amount of tension to make inoperative the last mentioned means.

17,111 a machine of the character described, the combination with ,means for clutched thereto when at oneend only of its movement, yield-able means for normally maintaining said worm. at that end of its movement in which it is clutched to the shaft, a worm gear in mesh with said worm,v

and meansrotated by said worm gear for holding the other end of the wire whereby when a predetermined amount of tension is placed upon the wire said tension will exert tangentially of the gear a forceon the 'worm'to'move the same longitudinally of the shaft against'the yieldable means, means for intertwisting overlapped portions of the wire adjacent the ends thereof including a driven shaft, a second shaft co-axial and clutchable with said driven shaft, a 'gear wheel, means for rotating said gear wheel by said second shaft, a pinion meshed with said gear wheel and slotted to receive therein said overlapped portions of the wire in order to twist the same, means for automatically putting into operation the twisting means when the wire has acquired the predetermined tension, said last mentioned means including a disk mounted loosely on the driven shaftand moved longitudinally thereof by the worm,.a spring tending to clutch the second shaft with the driven shaft, a plunger acting against said second shaft to prevent said clutching, and a slide engaging saiddisk acting to withdraw the plunger from operative position when shifted by the disk upon longitudinal movement of the worm.

18. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding the'ends of a wire, of means for nascent tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount, means for intertwisting the overlapping portions of the wire adjacent the ends thereof, means for automatically setting into operation the twisting means when the wire has acquired the predetermined amount of tension, and means for automatically putting out of operation the twisting means when the wire has been suficiently twisted.

19. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding the ends of a wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount, means for intertwisting the overlapping portions of the Wire adjacent the ends thereof, means for automatically setting into operation the twisting means when the wire has acquired the predetermined amount of tension, means for automatically putting out of operation the twisting means when the wire-has been sufiicient- 1y twisted, and means associated with the wire-holding means for rendering said last mentioned automatic means inoperative as long as said wire-holding means holds both tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount, means for adjusting said tensioning means whereby to determine the amount of tension given'the wire, means for intertwisting overlapping portions of the wire adjacent the ends thereof, means for automatically setting into operation the twisting means when the wire has acquired the predetermined amount of tension, and means for automatically putting out of operation the twisting means when the wire has been sufliciently twisted.

21. In a machine of the character 'de scribed, the combination with means for holding the ends of a wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount, means for intertwisting overlapped portions of thewire adjacent the ends thereof, separate means for cutting ofi each end of the wire at points closely adjacent the ends of the twisted portion, said separate means consecutively operating to cut ofi the wire ends. I

221m a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding the ends of a wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount, and means for intertwisik ing overlapped portions of the wire adjacent the ends thereof. said last mentioned means serving to twist said overlapped portions of the wire beyond the position at which they would come to rest after the re moval of the twisting force and the reflex of the wire.

23. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for holding the ends of a wire, of means for tensioning the wire automatically a predetermined amount, means for intertwisting overlapped portions of the wire adjacent the ends thereof, and means for turning the twisting means backward after said twisting means has become carried past the required number of twists and has been unclutched.

In. testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM G. MUELLER.

Witnesses:

RAYMOND L. GREIs'r, DoRoTHY 1. Ross. 

